The present invention relates to sleeves for protecting exposed members of vehicles running through mechanized or automated car washes and in particular to a sleeve for protecting a rear window wiper of vehicles being washed by the car washes.
In our hurried society many vehicle drivers utilize mechanized or automated car washes to maintain clean vehicles. The International Carwash Association estimates the professional car wash industry is a $23 billion annual industry. Unfortunately, a large number of rear window wipers on vehicles are being damaged during washing by these car wash mechanisms. Bosch, a European automotive and industrial technology company with 45.4 Billion in sales, estimates over 30% of autos on the road today have a rear window wiper blade. The mechanized or automated car washes are comprised of mechanisms including spinning or moving brushes and chamois that contact the vehicle, the components of which often become entangled in the wiper blade, wiper arm, and/or its components. When an entanglement occurs, the wiper blade, wiper arm, associated components; the vehicle; and/or the car wash mechanisms are damaged. For example, mechanized or automated car wash brushes may grab the wiper arm and rip the arm away from the window, or the brushes may be caught between motor housings of the wipers and rip the wiper blades away from the housings. In either case, the wipers and/or wiper mechanisms are often damaged.
Data from the International Carwash Association (ICA) indicates that approximately 40 percent of vehicle damage from mechanized and automated car washes is wiper damage. Some carwash operators have reported that wiper damage is their number one problem. Some carwash operators tape wipers down before the vehicle is run through the car wash, and some carwash operators report spending $200 per month on tape for this purpose. Other carwash operators use plastic bags to cover the wipers and some car wash operators use both the tape and plastic bags. Unfortunately, neither the tape, plastic bags, nor both work in all cases. For example, the tape may not hold because of too much power from the car wash mechanisms and failure of the tape to adhere to the vehicle. As a result, damage often occurs even when the wiper was taped and covered with a plastic bag.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,201 for “Rear Wiper Blade Protective Device” discloses a hard cylindrical tube with suction cups for attachment. The user slides the tube over the windshield wiper blade and presses the suction cups against the window glass to retain the tube on the wiper blade. While the device of the '201 patent provides some protection, it fails to provide an adequate solution. For example, known rear window wipers come to rest on a blade support which holds the blade away from the window glass. The blade support interferes with the ability of the device of the '201 patent to cover the wiper and prevents the attachment of the suction cups. Additionally, a gap exposes a portion of the wiper blade and/or wiper arm, and elements of the automatic car wash can catch on the exposed elements and rip the wiper away from the vehicle. The hard plastic components of the device of the '201 patent themselves can cause entanglement with the car wash mechanisms. When this device of the '201 patent becomes dislodged during the wash process, its hard components may further damage the vehicle. The '201 patent is herein incorporated by reference.
Therefore, a need remains for successfully protecting rear window wipers in mechanized or automated carwashes.